Venice, Italy.- The Dominican film Sugar Island, directed by Johanné Gómez Terrero, received two honorable mentions after its world premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival’s Giornate Degli Autori section. This festival, held from August 28 to September 7, celebrates innovative auteur cinema.
The film was honored by the Fai Persona Lavoro Ambiente Foundation for its strong labor and environmental themes, focusing on the mechanization of agriculture and the lack of recognition of labor rights. Additionally, it received an honorable mention from the Inclusione e Sostenibilitá Edipo Re, an award supporting the distribution of films with high artistic and cultural value in Italian cinemas.
Sugar Island tells the story of Makenya, a pregnant teenager, and her sugarcane farmer grandfather as they protest the mechanization of the sugar industry. The film explores black bodies and decolonial thought, blending tradition and spirituality. The cast includes Yelidá Diaz, Ruth Emeterio, and Juan María Almonte, and the film is a co-production between the Dominican Republic and Spain.